Despite what we may believe, all things change over time.
When we are young, we are filled with confidence and energy, but as we age, we slow down, and our confidence vanishes along with our hair. But humans are not the only things that change.
The world of sports changes as well. I was up at Saratoga Race Track this Labor Day and looked at that venerable old grandstand in all its beauty.
To gaze upon that building prompts the thought that thoroughbred racing is not vulnerable to change. But just two weeks ago I wrote about my visit to the UBS Arena which overlooks the rubble that was once Belmont Race Track.
I learned that they have torn down that grandstand to build a much smaller one in its place.
Thoroughbred racing was the number one sport in America in the 19th century but those days are long gone.
As we rocketed through the 20th century, we saw the rise of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball League, The National Football League, and The National Hockey League.
And these four sports now dominate television, bringing in large dollars and attracting sports fans from around the world.
Will these four sports remain on top as the sports fan makes his or her way through the 21st century? Just as thoroughbred racing has declined, our big four are just as vulnerable.
You may recall that only two months ago, we witnessed the building of a 30,000-seat temporary stadium in Eisenhower Park to accommodate the Cricket World Cup.
Cricket has over 2.5 billion fans worldwide, far more than baseball or football. And let’s not forget field hockey, which is popular in Europe and has 2 billion fans.
The Japanese love golf, the Americans love football, and the Chinese love ping pong. As the sports world continues to globalize, we can expect to see the emergence of new sports that rival baseball, football, or basketball in America.
Break dancing was in the Paris Olympics, and pickleball is now played in high school.
As Henry Adams emphasized in “A Law of Acceleration” back in 1904, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you, progress can’t be stopped. Progress will occur.
But one thing that will always remain is man’s need to play, to compete, and to feel the rush of risk-taking in sports. Life is often mundane and boring.
This is because we are able to avoid risk and failure by procrastinating. We all may have glorious fantasies but rarely put them into action. Salespeople can avoid those scary phone calls forever. Procrastination and avoidance may be the most widely used defenses. This leads to regret, boredom, and wasted potential.
But in sports, you must step into the batter’s box and swing away. That is the beauty of sports. It forces you to take the shot whereas in life you can sit on the sidelines forever.
Jim McCay who hosted ABC’s Wide World of Sports would use the phrase “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
Sports always provides raw emotions. The sporting landscape may shift in this century. That may be inevitable.
But the essential value of any sport is that it will always demand that the athlete muster up courage and strength despite anxiety or fear. Now that’s not such a sticky wicket is it?
